MickMathersARTblog

Thursday Challenge: Noisy -

2008-07-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

"Noisy"
photograph by Mick Mather

This brightly painted metal plate marks a stairway inside The Gear Factory in Syracuse, New York and seemed to be just right for the week's Thursday Challenge theme of noisy! Except for minimal cropping, this photo is untouched. Now, it's another gorgeous day and I'm going outside for a walk.

The weather has been perfect -

2008-07-16T05:10:00.001-07:00

"One Happy Summer Day"

digital collage by Mick Mather

As I mention in the introductory title of this post, the weather has been stunning! Perfect days, perfect green, perfect riot of color in all of the flowers, just the right amount of rain ... like I say, perfect. This image is somewhat idyllic in my mind and reminiscent of being at a lake, taking a small rowboat out on the water with someone you care for. This exchange of glances on a summer day is the icing on the cake (sigh)!

Skin deep -

2008-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

"Beauty With A Scarred Face"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This piece is not so much what it seems to be as much as it is an allegory for the way my world has been turning lately. Changes and transitions at the workplace have left me a bit scarred, on the inside, and yet there's plenty of beauty within all of that. In the real world, I've met and known a few women who've had physical scars and were some of the most beautiful individuals I've ever met. So, there you have it, in the end, even the emotional angst? It's all just skin deep.

NEW from The Birdhouse Series -

2008-07-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

"Birdhouse XI"

manipulated digital drawing by Mick Mather

Since hanging this series at The Weiskotten Gallery at the beginning of July, the impetus to add new work has ebbed a little bit. I haven't painted anything new for The Toys Series in about 3 weeks either so I'm happy to get back to these whimsical pieces. I think about them quite often, in particular regarding some way to market these for sale while figuring out how to give some of them away. Ideas are whirling about in my head and something is likely to come of all this sometime in the not too distant future.

A funny thing happened on the way to ...

2008-07-13T06:21:00.001-07:00

"Reverse Engineering Department"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This image was already created when I stumbled into some YouTube™ broadcasts of the supposed Mars Photographs Cover-Up. The way I see it, anyone can say just about anything and believably back it up with statistical data, alternative theory, vague and indistinct imagery, ad infinitum. While that sort of thing is fun to watch and think about, I have a BIG problem with cover-up theories such as UFO's and said life on Mars documentation. When is the last time you tried to keep a secret? The minute you say, "you can't tell anyone this, but...", the lid is off the cookie jar and soon everyone will know it was you who spilled the beans! If information like this has really been covered up for all this time then the real story here is in how to keep mum about something a lot more important than whose house the postman, the milkman or the cable repairman is spending way too much time in. I don't know, it just doesn't seem possible given the blabbermouth factor of human nature. As for today's image and the object that's being reverse engineered? So sorry, that's a secret.

Too nice to stay inside -

2008-07-12T10:06:00.001-07:00

"The Middle Men"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Just as the opening introduction says, "It's too nice to stay inside". So, here's something I've been toying with over the last few days. I'm looking for my bathing suit and then I'm going up to the pool. Later!

Illustration Friday: Foggy -

2008-07-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

"Foggy"
digital collage by Mick Mather

There are two old doo wop songs that I was humming while working on this piece. The more popular, "Silhouettes", recorded by a huge number of recording artists, such as The Rays and Herman's Hermits, takes the perspective of one on the outside looking in at lost love, as shown here. The lesser known but equally popular hit, "Silhouette", takes the opposite position of someone looking out as his lost love passes by. In both cases, the memories are ever present, even if a bit foggy, and thus suited to this theme at Illustration Friday.

Thursday Challenge: Hot -

2008-07-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

"Burning Hand"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

This week's theme at Thursday Challenge is hot. As I was strolling through my photography files looking for something that fit, I found this image of a pair of crossing signals located about a block away from my office. After cropping this from a much larger photo it went into the super secret array of plug-in filters at the Secret Visual Laboratory. The brightly lit DON'T WALK sign seemed to be on fire but there's a triple meaning here for me. In addition to the theme this is also a play on words of "Burning Man", the increasingly popular, contemporary, counter-culture festival held every year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. The third is that in a few weeks a tectonic sculpture of a 15' tall hand (designed by the very creative and talented Syracuse University architecture student, Brendan Rose) will be constructed as part of Syracuse Arts Week on the 26th of July. I don't think it's going to be red though.

Two steps back -

2008-07-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

"The Classics"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I continue reviewing old work, pressing a few into service again. I've also been throwing together a piece here and there using an old working method with new filters. I suppose this is akin to taking a tried and true idea, turning it slightly one way, then another and finding a new twist. Tonight's post was particularly satisfying in light of the half dozen pieces that failed. Onward!

Something graphic -

2008-07-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

"The Checkered Jacket"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Many years ago, when I was doing block-relief prints 95% of the time I worked only in black and white. This digital collage is just the sort of image that I'd transfer to a block, cut and edition without batting an eye. The checked pattern of the jacket is the attraction for me in this piece and the rest of the image is almost incidental. As I look at this and reflect, it occurs to me that there's a lot of my old print work that might benefit from a revisit here. I think like this from time to time and with so much work to do, it's hard to justify the time spent again on old work. We'll see.

NEW from The Birdhouse Series -

2008-07-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

"Birdhouse X"
digitally manipulated drawing & collage by Mick Mather

I'm still playing catch-up from the long weekend. To sooth my just-about-shattered nerves, I thought I'd fiddle around with a new piece for The Birdhouse Series. Here you have it and do excuse another hit 'n run post this evening ... it couldn't be helped.

When the party's over -

2008-07-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

"The Orange Sweater"

digital collage by Mick Mather

Yeah, the long celebratory weekend is winding to a close and what better way to assist than with a nap! Before I do, the image posted tonight is clearly rooted in my love for 1950's advertising and illustration. Now, where's my pillow!

Stretching out -

2008-07-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

"A Bivouac of Tents After A Windstorm"
digitally manipulated drawing & collage by Mick Mather

It's a holiday weekend and I'm off to a birthday celebration, pool party and backyard bar-b-que. So, forgive the post and run but, in case all of those things weren't sufficient, my 4-year old granddaughter offered a further enticement and made Poppa a vanilla cake! Oh boy!

Illustration Friday: Sour -

2008-07-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

"Contemplating Her Famous Crab Apple Butter"
digital collage by Mick Mather

The weekly theme, sour, at Illustration Friday stopped me at this old "found image" from the files. I've always been attracted to the pose, the hazy light effects and the colors of this piece. Once it went into The Secret Visual Laboratory and all of those things were exaggerated and enhanced, well, what more to say? Oh, yes, of course: HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

Thursday Challenge: Photography -

2008-07-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

"Watching the Detectives"
digital collage by Mick Mather

This week, Thursday Challenge offers us the theme of photography. Not long ago I was working with a terrific group of teenagers on a public art project who managed to design, assemble and site a sculpture in less than 3 weeks time. Part of that effort required documenting as much activity as possible and there were multiple cameras in operation during each creative session. Coleen, a professional photographer with a studio at The Gear Factory where all of this was taking place, appeared one day and offered to shoot a few rolls of film with her big, honkin' rig. Tonight's post is based on two of the photo's I managed to take of her at work after collaging, manipulating and layering as I am wont to do. You can see the sculpture here at No Matter What Shape - The Archive.

Spinning out of control -

2008-07-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

"Her Red Dress Reflected in the Lid of a Can"
digitally manipulated drawing by Mick Mather

I'll just say that I'm firmly in my seat, buckled up and ready for whatever crazy turns are coming my way. Life is a bit unsettling lately with a funded sculpture to produce, a handful of public art proposals on the table and more than that to get to. I haven't settled into any regular rhythm of accomplishing the new tasks and fully expect that a few more successes, along with a more discerning eye toward what I should be doing, will help in that regard. So, spinning out of control? Kinda, sorta, maybe.

NEW from The Toys Series -

2008-07-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

"Dump Truck"
digitally manipulated tempera-on-paper painting by Mick Mather

Once again I pay homage to my exhibition at The Weiskotten Gallery with another piece from The Toys Series. While I'm at it, how about a nod to Bob the Builder? I actually had a dump truck similar to this when I was about 4 or 5 ... it was made of good, solid metal instead of the plastic toys you get today. They were perfect for clunking the kid next door over the head with and was sure to raise a welt that would be remembered a fair while. :)

It's very late!

2008-06-30T19:41:00.001-07:00

"The Hit & Run"
digitally manipulated painting & collage by Mick Mather

Yes, late it is, very late indeed. I had another opportunity to spend a few hours with the oldest and the youngest granddaughters this afternoon so this is not a complaint. We had pizza, wings, sunchips and we watched "ET". After arriving home, there were other pressing duties to attend to and I'm just about dead on my feet as I post this. Suffice it to say that it's the colors, the lines, the dashes and the abstract composition that appeals to me enough to post this with less than the appropriate time for study and reflection. Well, before I fall head first onto the keyboard, I'd best get off.

Before the sugar, before the spice -

2008-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

"Her Interests Were Faeries and Fireflies"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Not a lot to say other than today is a day I'll get to spend with my granddaughters. The partial myth in the old poem about what little girls - and little boys - are made of is the degree of separation for many of the fairer sex during the early years. If you're one who hasn't had to pack a curly haired moppet under an arm, like luggage, marching her straight to the tub for full immersion and a good scrubbing, well, you've missed something important about the slight difference I speak of. At the same time, catching grasshoppers and beetles and other creepy crawlies isn't the exclusive domain of boys - at least, not for a few more years. :)

NEW from The Birdhouse Series -

2008-06-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

"Birdhouse IX"
digitally manipulated drawing by Mick Mather

To celebrate the hanging of images 1 thru 8 in The Birdhouse Series I thought I might post this newly created image. Eleven works from The Toys Series were also hung today at The Weiskotten Gallery and I have to admit that the show looks bright and happy. Just right for the beginning of summer! I should also like you to make a note that I've posted an alternate version of this at my other blog, No Matter What Shape - The Archive. Have a peek if you're interested, I'm on my way out to have a little Irish Whiskey along with a few glasses of red wine as a chaser.

Illustration Friday: Fierce -

2008-06-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

"Fierce"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Once again I find the theme at Illustration Friday somewhat difficult. This week the word is fierce and I'm beginning to think that this much difficulty so many weeks in a row may actually just be me. Well, whichever way the wind is blowing, the fires out west are what collectively inform tonight's piece. I have another version of this that I like better, because of it's JMW Turner aura, but this one is somewhat smoother and less harsh to one's delicate sensibilities in view of such things as destructive fires. At the same time I have to wonder if the rougher image might be more effective. Even though torn, all is well and I've posted it here at No Matter What Shape - The Archive.

Thursday Challenge: Rocks -

2008-06-26T16:46:00.001-07:00

"Rag and Bone, Iron and Stone"
photograph by Mick Mather

Rocks is the Thursday Challenge theme this week and as I was out and about on Tuesday documenting a piece of public art I spotted this reflection of Syracuse City Hall reflected off the glass tower of the more modern and currently vacant NYNEX / VERIZON building. As I began preparing this for tonight's post the idea of contrasts was on my mind. Questions like old vs new building materials - iron or stone? It struck me that such a question, and the visual contrast offered in this photograph, might also speak to the worth of the craftsman who built this beautiful castle that's still a downtown landmark. Working class men who understood the meaning of sustainable, local materials two centuries ago. Subsistence level urban pioneers touched by the industrial revolution who probably benefited little by way of being able to acquire mass produced, factory items that could be cobbled together from recycled material. A time when the junk peddler went street to street offering old, affordable and still useful things. A reflection here of an era passed within the panes of modernity whose entropy quietly awaits a post-modern rag and bone man.

Old business -

2008-06-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

"The Stars at Night"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I hadn't realized it until today, but I've been surfing back through old files again. This sort of reflection is a good thing and I fall into this review of work at least three times a year, revisiting the good, the bad, the ugly and the impossible. Often, as with tonight's image, a fresh perspective and a new idea erupt and I'm off to the races. I have to admit, I was also thinking of the adorable Linda, the Grumpiest Girl, who's still incognito and hot rodding up and down the road of life. At least I hope she is; and, I further hope she's having one hell of a time while doing it. Either way, doll face? Here are some more stars for ya! :)

Yesterdays papers -

2008-06-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

"Darkly Down A Wooded Path"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's an old Rolling Stones song, "Yesterday's Papers", that came to mind as I began manipulating this image. The mysterious figure seems to be carrying a newspaper, tucked under an arm and casting a furtive glance back over the shoulder. The background is something of a visually abstract path set about by a thicket, dense second growth or perhaps a close stand of well leafed trees. All of it, in the end, a bit mysterious and foreboding. I suppose this should be dedicated to The Finnish Sisters. I'm certain each will have something more to say about this one. :)